Concert

West Road Concert Hall
  • Lili Boulanger D’un matin de printemps
  • Richard Strauss Four Last Songs
  • Sergei Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2
  • Soprano Katy Thomson
  • Conductor Robert Hodge

TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR. (Online ticket sales have now ended)


Boulanger: D’un matin de printemps  Strauss: Four Last Songs Rachmaninov: Symphony no. 2

Lili Boulanger’s ‘D’un matin de printemps’ is a joyful, carefree depiction of a spring morning. Completed in 1918 when the composer was just 25, the work glistens with light and youthful energy, following in the stylistic tradition of Debussy.

By contrast, Richard Strauss’s ‘Four Last Songs’ were the product of his old age, written when he was 84. In low spirits, he was encouraged by his son to write ‘one last great piece of music’, a phrase which is certainly fulfilled by what is generally held to be his most beautiful, expressive and moving composition.

Composed in secret and hidden in a cupboard because he was not satisfied, Rachmaninov’s second symphony only saw the light of day because his friends prompted him to have it performed. In the event the premiere in St Petersburg in 1908 was a triumph. Packed with truly gorgeous melodies and lush orchestration, the symphony has never waned in popularity.


This concert is supporting Jonathan Muggleton. Jonathan has an extremely rare form of cancer, mucosal melanoma, which affects just two men a year in the UK. Having exhausted all treatments available on the NHS, his only option is to travel to the USA for pioneering cell replacement therapy.

Jonathan, wife Rebecca and children, Amelia, 11, and Charlie, 9, were featured recently on Channel 4 documentary series Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life, which showed Jonathan’s journey from diagnosis in September 2020 to ground-breaking surgery this time last year.

If you would like to read more about Jonathan or donate to his GoFundMe campaign, click here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/lifesaving-treatment-for-jonathan

 

 

Ticket Information

Admission: £20, £10 (students), £6 (under 14)

Online ticket sales have now ended. Tickets can be purchased on the door.

West Road Concert Hall

11 West RoadCambridge CB3 9DP (map)
By Car
From Junction 12 of the M11 Drive for approx 1.5 miles into Cambridge (Barton Road) Turn left into Grange Road Turn 3rd right opposite Rugby Club (West Road) We are half way along the right hand side of West Road.
By Train
Trains run regularly to Cambridge from both London King’s Cross and London Liverpool Street. If you are coming from the North, it is advisable to change at Peterborough. West Road is a 10 to 15 minute taxi ride from the railway station.